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A bit of the Camino de Santiago..

I have just finished watching the fireworks here in Santiago after 10 days of Camino. I will write a quick report when I get home next week. It has been wonderful and am quite sad it is "over" for now. I have tons of great memories which will entice me to return.

I highly recommend many parts of this trail, even if you only have a few hours. There are definitely special spots to take into consideration a detour if you are in the area.

Scenery, historic villages, farmlands and you are always meeting interesting people along the way.

I am not a true pilgrim, but have walked the walk, and done as much as I could. I surprised myself several days. It can be grueling, but it has been rewarding.

One of the observations I would have is if you are NOT a true hiker/walker, do not be intimidated by this. I almost did not come when I saw my husband's itinerary ( 23 km day one.. 19 day two.. etc. etc.). He assured me I could just go as far as I could/wanted every day and things would work out.

I did the Camino the wimp's way. But it was fun. I always knew I could catch a taxi or wait for a back up car later in the day to collect me if I ran out of steam. And of the 16, a few of us did once in awhile. There were others ( the majority.. and all ages, from 14 to 66) who did "the whole sbebangs".. which I doubt I will ever do.

The experience is TOPS. The scenery many times, but not always, unbelievable.. and the company the best.

I promise to write a short wimp's report on the Camino.. it may entice others like myself to get on board!

The fireworks are every year the night before the 25th, Saint Santiago.. the reason behind this Camino.

This year is a Holy year as the 25th falls on a Sunday. My husband has done the Camino ( certain legs of it) a few times but this is his second "Holy Year". The King and Queen and politicians were here for the festivities.

We were with a group of local friends who live in the area and do this camino ( the French route) and others frequently as a family reunion with their kids ( all grown and married or with partners).

In my opinion, no tour group is needed, but, as I will write more extensively later, in high season one cannot count on the free/cheap albergues. We saw people exhausted after searching and searching for a place to rest their heads from town to town.. this was a particularly busy year.

Unless you are prepared to sleep under the stars, reservations are a must.

We had hotel/pazo ( palatial home) reservations along the way. The back up car was used when one of us didn't feel like walking.. or had a bad foot, and was available to meet up for lunch and coffee along the way. This happened three out of the 9 days.

We were very lucky with the weather.No rain and mostly sunny skies and occasional cool breezes.

I was stuck in the airport at Santiago at this time..picking up a relative whose flight was delayed so near but so far!…BTW Jean-Michel Jarre is playing in the city this weekend too. and the concert is free!

ribeira.. I was wondering how close/far away you were. We leave tomorrow morning for Valencia.. so no concerts for us. I saw his poster.. we have one of his records.

Parts of this trail can definitely be done by anyone. 150kms in a week, obviously, are a bit of a challenge for some.
A preview of some things I have learned for myself.

There are a lot of COOL little places to stay ( private albergues that take reservations) ON the trail itself. Doubles are about 35E but have a bath. Bunk beds in a room with 12-18 with shared bath around 9 euros.

There is an agency that will transport your bag or backpack for 3E to your next lodging. Is this unreal or what? My friends didn't even know about this. I think this is the best little tidbit I discovered as it will allow me to come, walk the trail backpack/suitcase-FREE, as long as I am organized and know at least in which town I want my luggage dropped off.

Every bar/café along the trail seems to have a list of locals or other cafés who will rent an apt. or bed when all other accomodations are full. Many of these cafés have a few basic rooms themselves.

No need to worry abut injuires. The Red Cross is available and the trail is well monitored with easy access to get you out if need be. Accommodating walkers will use their cell phone to call a taxi for you to be taken to the next town if you are too tired or lame to continue.

Besides the pilgrimage spirit of this trail, it is so unique in that not only is it 100's of kms. of marked, groomed paths (in most cases) but it takes you along through many medieval towns and passes by churches from the 11th century and impressive monasteries.

I did not see any young children on the trail until the last day. But other walkers are from 14-90 yrs old. All colors, sizes, shapes and forms. You tend to complete about the same distance every day as others, so you begin to recognize others and the greeting "buen camino" each time you pass, with some actually brings on deeper smiles and recognition of familiarity.

I hope to have details in place in a few days so I can actually write a more coherent report. I am sure I will be able to convince a LOT of wimps that this is a fun trip not to be missed, and ending it in Santiago the day before his St.s day is a great culmination.

Congratulations from another "wimp" who is planning to do part of the Camino the same way you did. Thank you for sharing, looking forward to more details. Would apppreciate if you could share the names of the hotels/pazos where you stayed.

Hi cruiseluv! A few of our group has gone out now for even MORE food.. and I couldn't bear another plate of anything. Instead of losing several kilos I am afraid to get on a scale as this has been one huge meal after another.
When I write my report I will give options of where I would have stayed myself, if just travelling with a family member or two. We were such a large group that it really dictated the lodging, our friends arranged it all and I have no complaints.I would steer clear of large towns, but sometimes this is the only option for large groups or latecomers. We stayed in Sarriá at the NH hotel. This was not quaint. Sarriá is not quaint,so unless I had nowhere to stay on the trail itself I may not stay here again, although we all really enjoyed the hotel and had decent food here. It is next to the river, so not right on the main street.Here in Santiago we are at the Parador de los Reyes Católicos where reservations were made two years ago. At the time they only had 14 rooms left after our group signed up. We were 27 on this trip the last three days.
We also had their spectacular dinner "noche de fuego" which was like an elite wedding.. later with reserved seating outside to watch the fireworks. I would splurge and do this again. The rooms are pleasant and the food at dinner was beautifully displayed and tasty. It was a regal way to celebrate our journey together to say the least.It is certainly quite a reward to walk into this historic building, the old hospital for the pilgrms and relive memories of past visits. My husband and I enjoyed two nights here many, many years ago.There are plenty of nice accommodations here in Santiago. The San Francisco 4* hotel is just behind the parador and also an historic building, for example.More Tuesday if I get my notes in order!

I have walked more than enough to get the Compostela but the lines are soooo long we have to leave. We didn't even get the Santiago stamp here. We have tried to get them twice at 8 in the morning and it is impossible. So we must move on.

The trail is especially wonderful when the groups move past you and you are left among the trees in solitude to trek a bit on your own. With so many people on the trails we were surprised at how uncrowded they would become at times.

There are definitely parts of the trail that for wimps and scenery seekers can be avoided quite easily. I will try to list a short version for those who only have a day or a few hours in the region.

I have never read a guide book nor done this before so my information will have to be taken with a grain of salt. I have, on the other hand, throughly enjoyed true pilgrim reports. There are some very professional writers out there doing a beautiful job of transmitting it all.

If you google "pazos de galicia" you will find some lovely accommodations.

Lin, that's too bad about not being able to get the Compostela, but now that you know how much you enjoyed it you might decide to do it again! Are you going back home or are you continuing traveling?

The evening celebration at the Parador sounds interesting. We stayed at the Parador the first time we went to Santiago and were underwhelmed by the rooms and service. The historic nature of the place made up for that though.

Loved reading about your time on the Camino. Mom and I did a very short walk with a tour group we were with back in May. We spent a few hours walking on the Camino and ended (our bus picked us up) in the cute town of Puenta de la Reina. We loved our relatively short walk of several hours and the section we walked had lovely scenery. The fact we had perfect weather that day helped too!

I'm a camino walker with a pretty high level of addiction. I'm really looking forward to hearing Lin's perspective on the experience.

Just a few comments now --

The Camino from Roncesvalles to Santiago (Camino Frances) is only one of many different options, but it's the trail that most people are referring to when they use the term "Camino." But there are many other well-marked paths all through Spain that all wind up in Santiago and all have some historical basis as having been used during medieval times or earlier (I just walked a camino that originated with the Romans). There's a good schematic map of Spain here that shows some of the more popular caminos, and if you read Spanish, there's a ton of information. http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es/

Ivar, who has just posted here, runs what is by far the best and most active online Camino forum in English, http://www.caminodesantiago.me/board/ And he also has a very pilgrim friendly business that provides a lot of services to pilgrims from all over, it's called the Camino Travel Center I think.

So sorry you didn't get the compostela, lin. I arrived in Santiago this year on June 15, at around 1 in the afternoon, and there were four people in line!

Just unloaded bags from the car after an all day ride of getting back home.

Forgot to answer you, Aduchamp, that we did not have percebes this trip. My husband loves them.. I am neutral, and they are so expensive now I, personally, with such a large group, it would have been sticker-shocking had several people ordered them.

LCI.. hi! It was so nice meeting you on Atlanta. I am not familiar enough with the trail to know exactly what part that walk is on, but if you say it is beautiful scenery.. I believe you. A walk like that is such a treat.

Laurie, nice to have all these websites for when I go back without tagging along with our friends' family reunion! I can see how one can be addicted to it all. Your focus changes so much, and when you finally change into normal street clothes, sparkling clean blown dried hair, make-up,no your walking stick, boots, shorts or day pack.. it feels strange and distant to be a spectator as the plaza fills up in Santiago with those finishing the walk after you have showered and changed.

I will be back, and off season does appeal to me. I don't NEED to stay at the parador, again, but it was a lovely ending to this particularly special journey.

It took me a day or so to "wind down" and I even had tears in my eyes yesterday at our last special meal together. Looking around the table at our friends enjoying the presence of their married children, chatting with one of them about how wonderful her parents, now deceased, were to me when I first arrived in Spain and was the "girlfriend" of my husband. We also made new American friends.. friends of our Spanish friends.. so it was really a full emotional week, with our goodbyes just around the corner.

I obviously don't have my day by day report figured out. I hope I do get it somewhat organized soon, but my impressions were all good, and I can do nothing but encourage others to take a few hours, days or weeks, whatever you have, to participate in what has become a fascinating journey through history.

A few things I did wrong are easy to remedy.
1) I bought some hiking boots a couple years ago. I have worn them on and off and did wear them around the house all day the day before we left.

I think they are too short, as from the first day I was hitting my toes downhill and as a consequence I think I may lose my big toenail. I go to the podiatrist this week. I should have gone before the trip just to get everything in order foot-wise.

So this is newbie mistake number one. Like in skiing. Footwear must be perfect, and until you hike or ski alot, I think it is difficult to foresee what you need in a boot. I will do some investigating before I buy replacements.

2). We "forgot" ( didn't even think of it) to put sunscreen on the back of our legs and arms, especially near the sock line and behind the knees. Wow. One gets burned quickly from behind. Our faces and front of body were perfectly protected, but we did a bad job the FIRST day on the behind!

3) Tried a bit too much the first day, but felt like I had to keep up with the group at least the first 10kms. I finally accepted reality, stayed at a café t regain some strength , will power and then continued on my own for two villages until I called it quits.

One of the pleasantries along the trail is almost each and every person when they pass you will say "buen camino!", which basically is "have a good walk".. . Making toasts we were always saying "Buen Ca!", the abbreviation.

Foreigners seem to say "hola" when they pass.

A few very interesting people I saw along the way.

A barefoot walker, gingerly doing the last kms as though he were in great pain. We decided he must be fulfilling some kind of personal penitence as his boots were hanging off his backpack.

A young, cheerful French woman leading her donkey BACK to France. Oh my. We had not even arrived at the Monto do Gozo, and this woman was already on her way back.... and to FRANCE. (The wimp and others here realize how strong some people are).

I kept seeing an American family along the way.. parents and two teenage girls laden with the works.. backpack and sleeping apparatus. I finally crossed paths directly with the father and youngest daughter and walked part way together. He is a writer from New Haven Conn, and we finally met up with the wife and other daughter at a café along the trial. We had a nice chat.

I smiled when I saw two young japanese wearing identical T-shirts with their photo on it and "just married" across the bottom of the picture. I congratulated them as they passed and they politely said thank you. I think they were in the parador, too, but without their hats, sunglasses and T-shirts I can't be sure!

A group of vivacious( of course) Italians who seemed to have no reservations along the trail the day we saw them as they were getting quite desperate and were relaying this unfortunate news of "completo" on their cell phones to the laggers, telling them they were moving on to try to find someplace.

Then there are the lame and exhausted at some of the guest houses/cafés along the way-..waiting to heal, taking a day or two off, or who knows what. People hobbling around restlessly, .. I was wondering what their next step was to be.

Forgot to answer you, Aduchamp, that we did not have percebes this trip. My husband loves them.. I am neutral, and they are so expensive now I, personally, with such a large group, it would have been sticker-shocking had several people ordered them.
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No problem. Your excitement about the Camino is obvious from 4,000 miles away.

This is the fourth time I have tried to write this. We are having power overloads here in Valencia it seems.

Our adventure from Valencia began with an overnight in Madrid visiting some friends. Then the next day we continued on to the walled town of Urueña for a bite to eat before our long drive up to Villafranca del Bierzo.

As we wandered around this small town admiring the old walls and churches, we noticed a music camp taking place. There were groups of three or four young students practicing their recitals on every shaded corner. We had lunch at an outdoor table under some trees with a quartet playing Vivaldi in the background.

Who could have planned such a soothing lunch? We really missed them when their leader came and they hustled off for lunch themselves, gathering their instruments and music. We have stopped here before but never were serenaded like this!

Next tourist stop was Astorga, another important historic town you may never have heard of. There are a number of interesting buildings here to admire. We visited the bishop's palace that Gaudi had intervened in at some point. We also bought some disappointing famous, traditional little cakes at one of the numerous shops.

Another coffee and finally really on our way! I can't wait to meet up with our friends. We haven't seen them for two years.

Medina del Campo is also a another nice small town to stop and admire architecture/castles, etc. if you go by there.

In Villafranca we stayed this time at a small renovated stone house hotel near our friends' house. This place is right on calle del agua, which is the pilgrim's entrance to Villafranca, and also an exit for motorised vehicles. It can be a bit noisy ( our room gave onto the street side) so I would not stay here again in summer where you like to have the windows open. The rooms were nice and plenty of hot water. Breakfast not included.. 58E, which I found steep for what it was, as cute as it was and all. But actually, their tourist season is so short, I can't blame them for asking that price.

After socializing with the group, we all retired. The next day, anxious to start the walk, we all had breakfast together and were given a blue envelope with the yellow arrow on it our friend had prepared.

Inside were copies of each stage of the walk were were going to accomplish. We took a long look at today's route. The general opinion was to drive up to O'Cebrerio and start there as most everyone had done this steep part of this stage several times over from Villafranca to O'C. So our route started at O'Cebreiro this time.

We bought our passports and got our first stamp at the church. Fortunately no one was there waiting when we first arrived to do this, but you can imagine once other pilgrims started arriving only wanting the stamp, and there was this group of 16 people getting the passport ... patience is a virtue of the pilgrims.

Then off we went walking. This beginning felt like a real adventure to me. I had no idea what was ahead. Was I going to hold up for 22 kms? I was honestly a bit anxious and dubious about my capabilities but was going to give it a try!

O'Cebreiro, a village with original celtic homes called Pallozas, is a lovely starting point if you are in the area. The town itself offers some of the most spectacular scenery of this part of the route, in my opinion. From here on in we will cross valley after valley, but always be going to a lower altitude, although there are many long, steep climbs.

One can see for miles, and you wonder what this was like without the luxuries, the food availability,etc. .. it is true that the "way" was not marked through little towns, but rather little towns or groups of entrepeneurs in houses sprouted up to service the pilgrims along the way.

We walked and hiked and walked and walked, and after several kms. I was wondering what I got myself into. About 10-12 kms into the walk I decided I needed a longer break than the rest and made the decision to continue later on my own once I recuperated.

This was not as much "fun" or social as I had imagined or been led to believe by my husband. This group was hardly stopping, it seemed, and certainly we weren't having these pleasant "downtimes" I had heard about that had forged such memories in my husband's mind. We all had stopped for a drink and to eat our bocadillo. I had arrived the last, and let everyone go ahead.

After resting awhile i decided to trudge along and go as far as I felt I could without injuring myself for the entire vacation. I walked to two more villages and then let them know where I was going to wait for them until they finished.

Walking alone without any pressure from myself allowed me to finally enjoy the trail. I told myself I wasn't competing with anyone or for anything. I was going to enjoy several days of walking and get as far as I felt like. I would give it some effort but I was not going to put myself beyond into pure exhaustion.

Once my mind was set on how I was going to approach this, the rest just happened. I walked, and talked, stopped, met up with the group.. enjoyed walking bits with some and bits with others.. but often by myself, as did many of the others.

The group would change into groups of two or three.. then one then four.. then a stop for lunch and wait for the other 13. The rhythm developed and the following days were how I had imagined it all. Relaxed and fulfilling.

After a few hours one starts to see everything else that makes up the trail. Not only the trail and the flow of pilgrims..the salute "buen camino", each walking at a different pace, but the flowers, (hydrangeas are abundant), trees ( chestnuts and oak) the smells of stabled animals and plastic covered fermenting bales of hay or wheat.

At times you share the path with a herd of beautiful but determined cows going home to be milked. You come upon a fruit stand along the trail with no house or attendant in sight. Prices are written in front of each item and a money can is there for you to settle your debt. Fresh raspberries were the conversation on day 2 and three.

Occasionally residents walk out of their homes and watch the parade go by. It passes quietly except for the clicking of the walking sticks against the compacted dirt or at times pavement.

I forgot to add that in Villafranca we had a really nice meal outside in a garden at a place called "la Pedrera" on calle La Pedrera. It's just before you hit the parador area on a little side street.

Villafranca had one internet place I found in a pub down off the larger, new plaza area. I didn't keep a card.. sorry. but ask someone young and they will give you the name. It was not easy to find computers most places, and when you did, there was a line of people waiting to use them. However, free wifi seemed to be available in a few of the trail cafés as well as more readily available in the larger towns at cafeterias.

A cute place we stopped to rest and snack, that also has rooms and takes reservations, on the trail at km 95 is the Bodeguiña at Mercadoiro. (34) 982 545359.www.mercadoiro.com

I read some mixed reviews later on the webpage Laurie gave us in this post, but we thought the place was adorable on the outside. They had a huge grassy knoll people were resting on in the shade and the place was just kind of funky and charming.. I did not take a look at the rooms.. I know they have 2 doubles with a bathroom for 35E/night in summer. Bunkbeds with shared bath are 9, I believe.

A number to call to transport suitcases and mochilas for 3E to your next stop is 982 5450 43. All the places seemed to have info about this on their message boards.

Basically you call them before 10.30 pm the night before or between 7.30 and 8.30 the morning of. Leave your case with 3E on top with your name and clearly identified name and address of next reserved lodging. It will be waiting for you there before 1.30 that day. This company has an insurance policy for your bag except for what is in the exterior pockets.

Now back to walking.

Day 2 was my favorite day. We started in Barbadelo and from there it was what I imagined the Camino would be. Rolling fields separated by medieval stone walls about 2 feet high to mark the perimeter of plots of land and /or to keep the cows in place. The trail flowed through forests and along these walls and gave me the experience I was hoping for. It was a true pleasure the entire way as well as I can recall. The trees, flowers and farmland odors accompanied us most of the route.

There are other parts of the Santiago trail that follow the road for small or larger distances. When there are trees nearby it is not so bad but at some points you are walking under the oppressive sun and feeling cars and trucks wizz by. The trail also goes past a few industrial parks which is not interesting either. I did skip some of these places, and I can ask my host for their exact location, but I am sure it is well defined in a guide book or one of these popular blogs.

This is such a coincidence as I just finished this morning reading my neighbour's book on the Camino. He walked 700 kilometers, starting in Pamplona three years' ago at 68 years old. A Journey of Days by Guy Thatcher. Maybe I can do it like you. Thanks for this.

I'll skip along to the last days as more or less we had the same schedule. Breakfast together, gather now the 27 walkers.. drive to where we left off last time. ( We were such a large group we slept off trail for all the nights. 2 in Sarriá and three around Mellide towards Arzua. )

We would then see if everyone was feeling well and walking the whole route or not. We would make arrangements around which km to meet for our major stop. Then we depended on cell phones to do some impromptu stops when one of the leaders would find an exceptionally pleasant shady area. Just give the marker number and directions.

One of these wonderful places was at marker number 16.5km. Just at that marker, go right off the trail to a huge shady grassy area. There is even a firepit there someone has made. Lots of stones/trunks to sit on and a tree trunk to lean against. A great picnic area.

We would also advise each other if someone had decided to stop and where he /she was waiting. It was usually at a café along the trail, or that person was told to go forward to the next place as it was accessible to the main road and would facilitate being picked up later.

Some culinary,shopping and sleeping tidbits:

I saw this neat place along the way and wrote down the name. "CAsa Rural Fogar de Lecer". It is in an ideal location and I will definitely try to stay here if I am with fewer people.

We had great Pulpo in Melide.. at a famous place on the main road called Pulpería Ezequiel. It has long wooden tables and benches. Our huge group walked in and within moments all 27 were seated and waiting for the bottles of Ribeira to appear. They also had fresh delicious salads and delicious wine. We ate for 13E/person. I believe each bottle of wine was 3E.

Arzúa has great little shops. We got our blue with the yellow arrow T-shirts there. 6 Euros Some shops sold them for 8 and 10. So check around. We all donned them the last day for our last kms. as a group walking up to Monto do Gozo and then into Santiago.

Earlier we also had delicious pulpo in Portmarin at a small pension /guest house with a terrace with a view of the Miño river. Casa Perez, I think it is called. We had hoped to stay in the hotel that is just across the bridge but a tour group has taken it over. So we had kept our pazo reservations and just had dinner in Portomarin.

Crossing the bridge and walking up into Portomarin is another stretch not to be forgotten. Portomarin is quite the lively place in the summer with all the pilgrims. A friend went there one fall and it was practically deserted.

Casa de Amancio is a welcome sight after the uphill 2km trek to Vilamayor at the end of the next to last day of the Camino. We had drinks and snacks there.They also have some motel style rooms that open onto the cafés garden. From here it is a mere 8.5 kms. to the Cathedral in Santiago.

18-23kms/day are just too much for me if there is a lot of up and down. I can do 12..15.. and lots more if the terrain is more level. But I enjoyed everything I did, and am happy to have taken the leap to accompany my husband on this journey. We walked together more at the end as everyone was slowing down a bit.. and the the closer to Santiago we got, the less we wanted it to finish.

I hope others who do not consider themselves walkers or hikers will be encouraged to tackle and enjoy a section of the Camino somewhere it exists, be it Spain or any other country where it can be found.

I am astonished that a group of 27 people managed to do this together. From OCebreiro to Santiago must be at least 100 miles, no? I have never walked with more than one other person, and can't imagine undertaking this. Kudos to whoever put it all together.

It's very interesting for me to read the reactions of a "newbie" (I think "wimp" is the WRONG word). I'll bet your experience is pretty typical, in that after a few days you found your own rhythm and ideal distances, and for people who have never done something like this, that suggests that flexibility going into it is a very good thing (not for you, of course, with the family reunion being more important than the actual walking).

What I mean is that the number of accommodations on the Camino Frances is such that except for the most crowded times, you can plan your day's destination one or two days in advance after you are able to judge for yourself how far you are likely to want to walk. (the exception to that is probably the stretch from Sarria to Santiago, the 100 km minimum walk for getting a compostela. But even there, I have walked numerous times, never with any reservations and frequently not knowing where I was going to stop walking at the end of the day).

When people ask me about my Caminos, the first question they inevitably ask is -- Who did you go with? When I tell them that it was either with one friend, my husband, or by myself, they say, no I mean what company did you go with. Many people from the US (don't mean to generalize here, it's just my experience) have a hard time believing that a 60 year old woman would just head out to Spain, put a backpack on her back and start walking. But it's easy, accommodations are plentiful, and the experience of "doing it on your own" is going to be profoundly different than doing it with a tour group. I don't want to seem like I'm lecturing here, but if this Camino appeals to you, consider going on your own. If you don't want to try the pilgrim accommodations (hostal like places with varying degrees of comfort and cleanliness but very inexpensive and many won't take reservations), you can reserve your night stays along the way through a company like Ivar's Camino Travel Center. From all accounts, this business provides all sorts of excellent service to all types of pilgrims. http://www.caminotravelcenter.com/

You will meet tons of wonderful people (and some jerks, too, but hey that's part of the experience) and help is never far away if you need it. Most people are walking alone or with one or two others, so groups and camaraderie form quickly.

Just one last personal anecdote -- when my son was 19, he had royally messed up his first year of college. That summer, he got in his head that he wanted to do the camino, and he did. Just took off from Roncesvalles with a backpack. When people asked me whether I was worried, I could honestly tell them it was the safest environment I could ever imagine for my wayward son. It worked magic on him, I can report 6 years later.

Sorry, don't mean to preach here, but I second lincasanova's encouragement to consider giving this a try, even if it means pushing the envelope on your comfort zone. I have never met anyone who started the Camino and then stopped because he or she was overwhelmed by the challenges of accommodation, meeting people or not knowing Spanish. Physical injuries end lots of Caminos, but not the kind of things that seem to be a barrier for lots of Americans.

The pillar of this group gets together to do parts of the camino almost any weekend their kids visit. It makes a nice excursion and the have a day or two out in the country and really enjoy it.

This year, being Jacobeo, all the cousins and sisters, etc. came, we were invited and an American family from Philadelphia joined one of the relatives for the adventure.

Of course I will go again!. It gets under your skin and I am looking forward to another few days up there at any time off season and when it is cooler. To go alone or with my daughter or kids would seem so simple after all the logistics we were provided with a large group. I would stay ON the trail next time most if not all days.

I will definitely be back as it provides almost everything we like while on vacation. Good food, interesting sights, some healthy exercise and an occasional superb accomodation.

This is perhaps the single person's best place and easiest place to be when you don't know where to go. One would not be lonely if he wanted company. You will meet so many different people and have as much or little conversation as you wish.

Reservations in the summer is the way to go .. I can't imagine walking for 20kms and not being sure I had a place to rest my head that night.

We stopped at a sweet, remodeled farmhouse that was run by a French fellow and his wife from Murcia, Spain.

They met on the trail. They fell in love WITH the trail. They THEY fell in love on the trail, got married and are now back here and have invested in a pilgrim's retreat that still has some odds and ends to wrap up.

why would walking with a tour group be wimpy? i was wimpy because I didn't finish every stage like the majority of the group.. but hey.. I already have a purple big toe being somewhat wimpy...and was very concerned about damaging my sedentary shin muscles, etc.

My adult daughter now wants to do part of the trail because she figures if mom had FUN in the end (everyone was kind of doubting I would be anything more than everyone's chauffeur!!) then it must be a cool thing.

Her boyfriend has decided to do the Portuguese portion first and is looking forward to it.

Frankly, I am now more interested in any type of pleasant walking route. Just have never taken the time to do any!

I love this report! Thanks for sharing the practical information, but even more, your impressions. Walking in a Jubilee Year, and ending up on the Eve of the feast day must have been a very special way to experience the Camino.

Some day I'd love to walk, but I have a very bad foot. We are getting our feet wet, so to speak, by bicycling the Camino this summer. Your report has really got me excited!

Wow...My daughter has a year's sabbatical and will be in Spain for indepth Espanol..I, at 80yrs, will join her and walk the walk or at least talk the talk and try the walk..thanks for the wonderful insights, She did part of the walk 2 years ago while in Haja so it will be old hat gor her but new hat for me..another notch in my travel belt..

Well, you sometimes have the woods.. but every few miles there are villages ( on the part of the train I covered) and many times you actually are walking through a proper town.

I am sure there are other parts or section of the trail that are less inhabited, but I was pleasantly surprised at the accessibility of everything. You virtually would have to carry nothing but water if you wanted or snacks as we found cafés and restaurants all along the way.

The section we did is not one of the most remote sections as of course the closer you get to Santiago on any of the various trails coming from all directions, the more civilization there is.

Thank you so much for topping this. Re-reading it, myself, has brought back many pleasant emotions. Great memories. Thanks all for taking the time to comment!

I am so happy to see this report, thanks. It answers several of my questions.

I was wondering if I'd be looking for trouble by walking a few stretches alone. Although I'll have company for most of the Camino, I would like to try it by myself. My sons were worried about their 65 year old mother's safety (truth be told, so was I).

I heard about the service that can carry your pack from town to town, I was not sure if I could trust them. It is funny, I've never met you but after reading Fodor's for so many years, I feel much more confident.

Robin- I am a female and crossed the Pyrenees (first day of El Camino Frances!) completely by myself. Have ZERO worries about been a solo female traveler- El Camino is incredibly well marked and safe. I used Jacotrans for luggage transfers (7-9 Euros/day) all along The Camino and recommend them.

....We had great Pulpo in Melide.. at a famous place on the main road called Pulpería Ezequiel. It has long wooden tables and benches. Our huge group walked in and within moments all 27 were seated and waiting for the bottles of Ribeira to appear. They also had fresh delicious salads and delicious wine. We ate for 13E/person. I believe each bottle of wine was 3E....

lincasanova did you see the section Viajero2 is walking? Outside of Galicia...hopefully they can find some Pulpo. but it will not taste as good as the way the Galicians make it.
Talking of Pulpo the best place, so they say, in Glaicia to partake in Carballiño. I prefer to eat mine at any market, outside in a marque is far better than in a restaurant, with the TV blaring away.

If you can walk through a mall.. then you can do spurts of the camino. One need not do hundreds of miles to enjoy the stroll. Just be picky about which sections you choose. Stay at special places and make it a real calm holiday. You may only end up walking a few miles one day or another, but will have seen some beautiful scenery, met some interesting people I am sure, and definitely had some fine food.

Ribeira.. yes, I looked up the two cities and I , nor my husband , have done that part. I didn't actually look up the path , itself, but it must be very pretty.

I'll have to keep Carballiño in mind when we get back to that part of the country.

I'm working on (finally!) planning to walk a portion of the Camino in 2012, maybe from near O'Cebreiro to Santiago. Did you use a company to help you with the booking of hotels? If so, could you share the name and alos the name of the properties wher you stayed? I was originally considering an escorted tour with Fresco Tour, but now I'm leaning to do an independent walk with assistance with hotel booking and lugagge transfer. I'll probably do it with my adult son.

Thanks for the comments. To "do " the camino is such a huge mouthful that it does frighten a lot of people. I was even leery of the whole experience, but it turned out to be so wonderful, I do want to encourage anyone who is in the area to just at least take a day or two and walk part of this pilgrimage.

In fact, this is a wonderful approach to any trail anywhere. I had just never "done" that before. People who normally go hiking on the weekends will find this a breeze. For others it opens a new world of vacation entertainment and exercise.

cruiseluv
to answer your question:
Booking hotels need not be necessary. You never know if a section will take you longer than planned. However there are companies that can do this for you.
In Galicia the tourism body has one (they also do luggage transfers too).http://www.turgalicia.es/iacobus/contacto.asp?cidi=I&ctre=iacobus

For those of you who have or may see the film “the Way” do not do what the main character done and just start walking without training for the Camino. Carrying a heavy weight and walking most of the day is not easy. The hilly terrain will also add to the difficulties you encounter in your Pilgrimage.

hi, cruiseluv,
Though I have no personal experience with using a company that organizes hotels/transfers along the way, this blog was written by a woman who walked the entire Spanish Camino Frances with a company doing the organizing. http://wheresnetia.wordpress.com/

Lin, thank you again for your continued support for those of us that haven't done this yet and may be somewhat intimidated.

Ribeirasacra, thank you for those references, I'll look into them. That's a good point about not knowing ahead of time how long it'll take to walk a particular stage. That's one reason I will be very cautious and allow myself extra time, even if it ends taking me longer than the norm.

Lauri, thank you so much for all that info, I'll check it out.
I know you do the Camino frequently. Do you ever do it by yourself?

Hi lincasanova and cruiseluv -- Yes, you're right I do walk the Camino frequently, and am now firmly in the "addict" category. I first walked from Roncesvalles to Santiago on the Camino Frances in May 2000 to celebrate my 50th birthday. Little did I know that 11 years later I'd still be going back every year. I have walked many different caminos, and there are still many more on my wish list. This schematic map shows you most of the routes in Spain. http://mundicamino.com/ (but not, for example, the route I'm going to walk this summer!).

I have always just put on my pack and started to walk (after lots of research) but have never used a company. Some people find the extra cost worth it, others do it because they don't want to sleep in the pilgrim albergues (which can't be reserved), others do it because they just like planning it all out in advance. There are plenty of guidebooks that list all the accommodations along the camino (I'm assuming you're talking about the Camino Frances, from Roncesvalles to Santiago), and if you have a cell phone, it's not a problem to call a day or two in advance to make reservations. I have a cell phone I bought in 2004 and keep bringing it back for new cards when I land in Madrid. I don't know what your Spanish language level is, but good Spanish makes that a lot easier.

If you have any questions about how to do it "on your own," cruiseluv, I'm happy to try to answer.
Buen camino! Laurie

We are so lucky to have an expert on here! You can buy very cheap "packs" ( basic cell phones) in spain at any cell phone provider shop for usually 19E that has 15-20E of calls on the sim card. a real bargain!

I took a look at this group walking tour from Oregon, and I have to say I was stunned by the price. I walk for 6 weeks (this group walks for two) on one camino or another every year and spend far less than that amount, including my airfare from the midwest.

I would just urge people to pay attention -- for some, price may be no object, but if it is a concern, the value added by these guided tours is something to consider. Private accommodations in hoteles/pensiones along the Camino Frances are typically in the 30 E range for a private room with bath, less per person if you're in a double. Albergues run 3-10 euros a night. Baggage transfers cost about 6 E a day if you want that. The camino is so well marked you don't need a guidebook or a map or a guide, just follow the arrows.

Having walked a lot of caminos, I can only say that if you strike out on your own, you will only be alone for as long as you want to be. The overwhelming majority of people who walk on this route just put on their packs and start to walk. I've seen a few German guided tours, but aside from that, it's all USA. I don't know why.

I have no "purist" objection to people walking with guides and with everything figured out for them, but you might be surprised if you try it all alone. It's so much cheaper, so much less regimented, and so much more open to what you will encounter. I think that for the overwhelming majority of people who walk the Camino, the real gift comes from the community you develop with others -- you move in and out of groups, you can stop and rest when you want, walk a long day or a short day when you want. The liberation that comes from not having a pre-ordained schedule just can't be replicated with a pre-ordained walking schedule.

I don't mean to rant here, and I know there are lots of people who have lots of reasons why a guided group tour makes sense. But if you are able-bodied and can walk, I feel confident in saying that walking without the restrictions of a group will pay dividends beyond what you can possibly imagine.

Laurie, your post is interesting as until a few days ago I was seriously considering booking one of those all inclusive Camino tours. But then, this thread prompted me to do a little research and see how economical some of these lovely pazos and casas rurales are. Why pay such a markup to some outfit just because they're including some guides (which I may or not want to listen to)? Plus by definition in a tour you have to adapt to a group of people that may or not be compatible with you. True, these companies take care of everything but I think with a little work I can put together something similar at a fraction of the cost.

Now that I've started researching the portion of the Camino I'm planning to do I'll probably start a new thread with questions as I dont want to hijack Lin's thread. Hope you, Lin and any others that have so much knowledge of the Camino will be able to help!

Sounds like a great plan, cruiseluv! I'm happy to help in any way I can. I would also say that if you are going to walk unescorted, even if it's almost impossible to get lost, you might want a guidebook for background, information, etc. I can recommend several. On my first Camino I walked with David Gitlitz and Linda Davidson's, The Pilgrimage Road to Santiago -- all 400 small print pages of it. It's not a typical guidebook, actually, rather it's a cultural/historical guide. Helped me find every little romanesque church along the way. But truthfully it was way too much information. But it would serve as a good background research book for at-home reading if you are historically or architecturally inclined.

The guide I have used several times is put out by the Confraternity of St. James (the British Friends of the Camino Association). It's more of a booklet, really, and it doesn't have maps or walking directions, just detailed info on places to eat and sleep. It is updated annually, and relies on pilgrim comments to keep it up to date. I've ordered several of their guides for different camino and the postage from London is very reasonable, and they are very quick to respond. http://www.csj.org.uk/acatalog/The_CSJ_Bookshop_Pilgrim_Guides_to_Spain_23.html

Well, sorry Lin if I'm continuing the hijacking of your thread. I'll look forward to a new one with cruiseluv's planning questions! Buen camino, Laurie

Thank you Laurie, you read my mind as I need to get some basic maps to be able to familiarize myself with what towns I'll be traversing.

And since Lin has kindly lent her thread , then let me ask my first couple of questions:

I would like to start walking from O'Cebreiro or shortly before. Is the hike up to O'Cebreiro as daunting as I've read? Or is the climb from O'Cebreiro to Alto do Poio even worse? I don't want to walk from Villafranca, but looking for recommendation of a closer starting point that's not too strenuous (maybe I'm dreaming?) but will allow the experience to hike up to O'cebreiro (I read somewhere from La Faba?). How long would it take at a slow pace?

Hi, cruiseluv,
Well, the problem with answering your first question is that it's such a personal thing. It will depend totally on your fitness level. And what kind of elevation gain you can handle. From Villafranca to O'Cebreiro, the total ascent is about 2400 feet. If you're a hiker, that total is not going to seem like much for a day's hike, but if you're not, it may seem impossible. You should take a look at this website, which has a stage by stage description and schematic map of the distance and elevation gain. http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es/los-caminos-de-santiago/frances/ Though it's in Spanish, it's easy to see the distances and elevations (all metric, of course). Look here for Villafranca to O'Cebreiro: http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es/etapa-de-villafranca-del-bierzo-a-o-cebreiro You can see where La Faba is on the way up, it's well over half way. The only thing is, I don't think there's anyplace other than an albergue there as far as accommodation goes. Are you planning to stay in albergues?

A few kms earlier, in the town of Las Herrerias, there are a few places, like this one: http://www.elcaprichodejosana.com/ If you didn't want to walk all the way from Las Herrerias, I bet you could get someone at whatever place you stay to take you up a few kms. (And by the way, the best website for finding all accommodations right on the Camino, I think, is mundicamino.com If you go to any stage on any camino, there is a link for lodging, and they have an English version, too -- just click on the British flag on the top right).

Another idea would be to start in Villafranca and split the climb to O'Cebreiro into two days. The first half is a much more gradual ascent, and that would get you into the swing more gently. And Villafranca is a very pretty little town.

I don't know how to estimate how long any stage will take you. I think the best way for you to do that is to look at the maps of each stage, see the distance and elevation, and then make your best guess. If you aren't accustomed to hiking or walking long distances, you'll probably want to train.

O'Cebreiro has a **hotel (I've stayed there, it's nothing special), a casa rural that I've also stayed at called Venta Celta, which is basically just a clean room in an old stone house above a small restaurant which serves good food).

The next day from O'Cebreiro is pretty much all descent. There is one short burst up to the Alto do Poio but it can't be more than one or two hundred feet.

If you can give me some idea of the distance and elevation you feel comfortable with, I could make suggestions on places to stay. The planning has begun! Buen camino, Laurie

After o'cebreiro is not too horribly hard even for a non-hiker like myself. At the beginning I was very discouraged only because I seemed to be trailing a group of friends and hubby on a mission or marathon. Things calmed down later in the week, and after that first day I just "did my own thing" at my own pace ( non-mission/marathon!!).

Hi, cruiseluv,
lin has made the point I should have made -- that you shouldn't feel like you have to keep up or make a certain distance in a day. That's the great thing about going on your own, you can mix it up to suit the circumstances. If you can build in some flexibility, an extra day or two just in case, you'll be able to listen to your body. The vast majority of people who stop before they had planned do so because they were pushing themselves too hard and too fast.

And a p.s. to lin -- I was just re-reading your report (there is lots of good advice in it, and your observations as a first timer should be required reading for someone who is not a hiker and is worried about striking otu alone). I noted that you live in Valencia, or at least that's the inference I drew. In the next few years, I am planning to walk the Camino de Levante, which starts in Valencia and winds up in Santiago 1300 kms later. I have friends who have done it and say the marking is excellent, but the distances long and the albergues few, so I'll have to do it before I get too feeble.

keep me posted! I have a friend who rode her horse on some "camino". Will have to find out if part of it overlapped the one you are talking about because it was a type of pilgrimage also about the Holy Grail and its journey across Spain.

cruiselin-- I walked the Camino last year. I am going back this May 2012 Pamplona to Burgos portion. I am booking lodging myself. I am keeping lodging below 40E/day, breakfast included, and along the Camino Frances route as my main criteria. So far, I have NOT encountered any issues whatsoever meeting the criteria. Plenty options. Booked all the way to Logrono already. I can share my finds if you send me your email.

Continued thanks for all the info. For sure I have to train for long walks but hiking very steep terrain gives me pause. I think the best thing before I head out there is to find somewhere near where I live that has a similar elevation and see how I do.
I'm not going to stay in albergues but book in advance in casas rurales or hotels.
I might stay in Villafranca for one night and thought maybe I could get a ride to La Faba and start walking there and that way avoid part of the climbing and also shorten the walking time up to O'Cebreiro.

Lin, good to hear that after O'Cebreiro is not a major issue (although some people's comments about the climb to Alto do Poio make it sound very challenging).

Viajero, thank you for the offer, you can email me at my screen name at aol dot com. Thanks in advance!

maybe i didn't do that part now that u mention it. i might have taken the day /morning off or retried before the trek? will have to ask and see if hubby remembers. You know.. you CAN skip parts.. I mean.. of course one usually walks without considering doing that, but being a bit of a rebel.. I say, just go for it and when the going gets too tough for you.. call a taxi.

Really, I mean it. Don't worry about any of this. It is so easy to be taken care of if you do not want to continue walking to your next night's lodging. This part of the trail is not in the middle of nowhere or anything.

On those harder hike days do fewer kms. and rest more often.

Anyway, I am sure you will figure it all out and will be so pleasantly surprised at your success!

It'll be a wonderful vacation no matter what. Nice scenery. Good food.. no hustle/bustle.

I have a couple of recommendations for places to stay. Though I usually stay in albergues, when the desire for clean sheets and a private bathroom gets too strong, I move out of the pilgrim stream and into a private place. Between O'Cebreiro and Santiago, here are places I've stayed in and liked:

In Samos: (don't know if you're taking this route from Triacastela or the one through San Xil)
I've stayed at both the Hostal Residencia a Veiga (a bit out of town) and the Hostal Victoria (in front of the monastery) and both are fine. Neither place rates high on the charm meter, however.

In Sarria: I've stayed at the Hotel Alfonso IX, which is clean but nondescript. Sarria has a lot of recent building activity, and I haven't walked this way for a while, so there is probably something better.

In Barbadelo, 5 km from Sarria, I've stayed at the Casa Nova da Rente. Very nice, old stone house. Lots of charm, but in the middle of nowhere.

In the tiny hamlet of Morgade, I HIGHLY recommend this place: The Casa Morgade http://www.casamorgade.com/
On my first camino in 2000,it was a tiny adjunct to a farmhouse, a room with 6 or 8 beds. Since then, it has mushroomed, and now has a rural hotel that is very comfortable. It's right on the camino, the door actually opens right onto the Camino, and sitting outside in the late afternoon in the middle of the "campo" is a wonderfully peaceful thing to do. http://www.casamorgade.com/

In Melide, there's a very comfortable new hotel in an old stone building right across the street from the albergue, but I don't remember it's name. If you think you'll be spending a night in Melide, I'll try to find it, because Melide is not full of great albergue alternatives. The albergue is very big and clean (as of 2010 anyway), so the demand for alternatives isn't too great.

Arzua: I've stayed several times at the Hostal Residencia Teodora. It's very central, modern but nicely maintained, and the restaurant in the main floor is good. Arzua cheese is very good.

Santa Irene: I've stayed 3 or 4 times at the private albergue, and it's nice enough that I would recommend it to you. The evening meal is totally uninspired, but it's in a very nice place, the owner is very attentive, and there are clean sheets on the bed (and I assume they'll give you a blanket if you need one).

And finally in Santiago, I always stay at the Costa Vella, they are my friends now and I can't imagine staying anywhere else. Very well located.

Costa Vella is wonderful. The outdoor garden is a heavenly calm place for breakfast or for a drink at any time of day or night. The hotel is run by a close knit family, and the owners are there (at least the second generation, in their 30s-40s) working day in and day out. They have opened two other hotels down the street, and if I don't make my reservation early enough, that's where I wind up (with breakfast privileges in the Costa Vella garden, of course!). The Altair is more modern, and the third (most recently opened) is the Moure, a vanguardist, hip, minimalist, sleek, place. Prices go up from oldest to newest.

wow, they've changed their website since I last looked, and it highlights the garden very nicely. http://costavella.com/

This is a very popular hotel, not a secret find of mine, so reservations in advance are essential.

Great information Laurie, thanks! And regarding the route to Triacastela... which one you recommend, Samos or San Xil? I would like to see the Monastery so I guess its Samos the one I should take?

And add me as another fan of the Costa Vella!! My family and I stayed there in March 2009 and loved it. We were so lucky to have lovely weather so were able to sit in their garden in the afternoons to have a glass (or more!) of wine. My son would even bring his books and read there. I met the owner while staying there. He and the rest of the staff were fantastic, very warm and caring. I was thinking of maybe trying the Altair just to try something different. I didnt know they had opened a third one.

If you want to visit the Samos monastery, you are going to have to take that branch from Triacastela. The route via San Xil combines some not so nice highway walking with some extraordinary "green tunnel" walking through little hamlets, but you'll get plenty of that.

You know, I've been thinking about your plan to stay in nice casas rurales, pazos, etc on your camino, and it occurs to me that in many cases the nicest places are a km or two off the camino, so I won't know about them. But I do think the mundicamino website gives info on places that are close, so you might find some there. For instance, looking at the stage closes to Santiago, I saw one that is near Lavacolla, but a km off the camino. http://www.pazoxanxordo.com/ -- I've never stayed there but wow it looks very nice. On that same stretch, though, I do remember having coffee in a less elegant but nice casa rural that is directly on the camino. http://www.casadeamancio.com/

Either of those places would get you close enough to Santiago to make a morning walk in in time for the pilgrim's mass.

One last lodging comment -- many pilgrims have started staying at this place, which is in an old monastery. http://www.hsanmartinpinario.com/ It is actually right across the plaza from one of the cathedral's doors (the door that's to the left as you walk into the Plaza Obradoiro, through that little tunnel and come out in front of the parador if that makes sense). They have rooms for both pilgrims and non-pilgrims. Everyone I know loves it, but I have stuck with the Costa Vella just for old times sake.

I am planning a 2012 camino, but don't know my dates. I'm hoping to walk a crazy zig zag from Santander through the Picos de Europa down to Leon, then back up through the mountains to Oviedo, and then to Santiago from Oviedo on the Camino Primitivo. I have decided I should focus on mountain caminos and leave the flat ones like the Levante for my 70s.

I hope to do this at some point. Several years ago I searched here on Fodor's and there were no threads about the Camino... Then Aduchamp shared from his wife's trip. So, I am happy to see we have some experienced pilgrims amongst us now.

I did spend 3 days walking the St. James Way (Jakobsweg) in Switzerland which is the Swiss section of the Camino. I also did a bit of the Way in Norway which I happened upon by accident. The Swiss portion is rather high elevations and brought up my acrophobia but I loved it. I was alone, and you can walk for a few hours at a time seeing barely anyone, but the trail leads you from village to village and with many charming little chapels all along the way. At one point I had some terrible blisters and in late afternoon a nun approached me and asked if I was a pilgrim. She took me to her cloisters where I was seen by a nurse who repaired my feet and for about 25 swiss francs had a lovely private room, hot shower, and large breakfast.

I don't know when I'll have time to do a longer trek, but reading threads like this keeps it on the top of my wish list.

I have to admit I was thinking of repeating some of the previous walk and staying on the trail. I have a recently widowed friend who I was hoping would come with but maybe I'll just start close to home!

Maria, let me know when you decide on your arrival date into Santiago. I will probably be arriving sometime around July 3 or 4, and it would be fun to have a GTG! And you too, Lin, if you decide to go for it!

Oh Laurie, that would be so great! As of now we're thinking of arriving on July 5th, and staying at least a couple of days. However, we haven't yet bought tickets or made reservations (have to get going on that!). I'll keep you posted. My e-mail is my screen name at aol dot com

I've been busy looking into logistics, booking accommodations, and looking into airfare (not done that yet, it's so high!). We've decided to start walking from O'Cebreiro on 6/28(today I booked hotel there for the night of 6/27). As of now we're planning to travel to Piedrafita do Cebreiro by ALSA bus from León.

Would appreciate any comments about the segment between Triacastela and Samos. I'm reading that it's a paved road and that it could be dangerous/ scary for walkers? Is it like a highway? If its not a pleasant walk I would rather take a taxi from Triacastela to Samos, visit the monastery and then keep walking to Sarria.

The last time I walked this segment was probably 5 or 6 years ago, so my memory may be a bit fuzzy. At that time, there was one short stretch on a shoulder of a not terribly busy road leaving Triacastela. Very quickly, though, you turned off onto old paths (suitable for cart, horse, or pedestrian but nothing larger) going through green tunnels alongside hillsides and on river's edge and through tiny hamlets where several people still live. It was beautiful. There are some scary highway shoulder parts of the Camino Frances, but I don't think anyone would rate the road leaving Triacastela as high on the list.

The other thing is that for me, the most beautiful thing about the Samos monastery is coming upon it from above. Though it's nice to walk through, it's not terribly well preserved and there's lots of relatively modern replacement of the original romanesque. You would miss that view from up high if you took a taxi. There the monastery sits in the valley and you are on top looking down, very pretty. Are you planning to spend the night in Samos? I've stayed there twice in two different places (even for a hard core nut like me, the albergue was just way too off-putting -- cold, clammy, dark, moldy, etc), both of which are fine and I can give you pros and cons if you want. Samos is not much of a town but it does have some commerce.

Buen camino! Looks like you are making great progress with your plans, Laurie

Laurie, thank you for making that point about viewing the monastery from above and for clarifying the "landscape" of the walk between Triacastela and Samos. Actually, the description that gave me concern I read in just one source, others didnt mention it so I'm glad its apparently exagerated.

We're not planning to spend the night in Samos. However, I'm still looking for places in Triacastela. Any recommendations? I'm looking at Casa Pacios, a casa rural in nearby Vilavella, and a pensión called Casa David in Triacastela. Do you know any of these?

We are planning to arrive Santiago on July 5th and have reservations at the Altair.

Well, I am a real sucker for old stone houses, and the Casa Pacios looks lovely. I haven't stayed there or seen it, but mundicamino says it's right on the Camino, about 2.5 km before Triacastela.
Triacastela is not much of a town, I remember a couple of pretty bad meals in not so great places. I have stayed in the albergue a couple of times and once in a pension but I don't think it was Casa David. So you wouldn't be giving up a great meal or anything by staying out of town in the Casa Rural.
One thing that is kind of special about Triacastela is the priest -- I remember going to a late afternoon mass there, I confess it was more than anything to see the inside of the church, and the priest dispensed with most of the mass and spent the time talking with us about spirituality, life, meaning -- some of those topics that come up with great regularity on the camino. He gave us the standard pilgrim's blessing, which is beautiful. I don't know if he's still there, but it was a special experience.

I may actually be in Santiago on July 5! I'm going to see what I can do to arrange my trip so we coincide. Buen camino, Laurie

oh and p.s. I just checked in my old journals and I wrote in 2002 that the walk from Triacastela to Sarria was for the first 3 km on the shoulder of the road, then off onto paths along the river and up and down the hillsides.

Hi, cruiseluv,
I am having a lot of fun planning this summer, and my camino is going to join the Camino Frances at Melide. I saw this casa rural that looked nice and wondered whether you had seen it. http://oacivro.com/

Its website says it's on km 19, which puts it pretty close to Santiago, maybe a good last night stop.

BTW, I sent you an email to the account you suggested and I am not sure if you saw it. Laurie

I had seen Oacivro and considered it. In the end I made a reservation at O Muiño de Pena since I had several recommendations on it. I think its a couple of kms from the Camino but supposedly the hotel will pick me up at Rua.

I missed this earlier - probably because walking the Camino or even part of it hadn't entered my consciousness.

However in the past couple of years I have become much more aware of it, and a little voice keeps whispering to me to try...

But up until today I have dismisses it, told the little voice to go away.

I am not a walker at all. I work long days on my feet standing and walking, and it makes my feet, ankles, knees and hips hurt. But reading this has given me hope, that perhaps I could attempt it, taking my time, walking maybe 5-10-15km a day. You have reassured me there is no pressure, that it would be MY Camino.

julia-t. I am so thrilled I may have taken the fear out of you for doing a part of the camino. I think you will be surprised at how simple and refreshing it is to do nothing but walk.. leave the heavy knapsack or case to the transport company.. stop as often as you like. just enjoy the journey.

I was at a dinner the other night and a friend, who actually now and has always taken long hikes near her house, but for some reason was intimidated by doing the "Camino", is making plans to do so. She didn´t say it in these words.. but a group has decided.. "well. if SHE did i and had fun.. I can do it , too".

It was so great to meet you and share the experience. My friends are now ready for another Camino and eventhough I'm not sure I have another one in me I have a feeling I can be easily convinced! . I'm looking forward to your report, I'll also try to write one.

I would also like to encourage anybody that has an interest to give it a try. If I may offer a couple of observations: try not to do it in July or August. We had very hot days which really affected our stamina and enjoyment. Also, if you're concerned about your ability to walk long distances, keep your days to about 15 kms and you should be fine.

Lin - hope I'm not too much of an interloper, and I salute your traveler's intrepid curiosity with the Camino sojourn, but may I ask about your knowledge of the Madrid airport lodgings that you have previously commented on? are the airport hotels quiet? and how far/how long a bus ride into central Madrid? I am planning a trip for mid-October. thx

i would never stay out at the airport for more than a one nighter if I was planning on visiting Madrid. I have not had any problem sleeping at the following hotels.

axor feria
pullman
Ibis
clemente Barajas
Boston

Of these.. Pullman most upscale Ibis most basic. All clean with free shuttles every half hour until dinnertime ( 9 or 10 pm- ish)

Signing up at Accor Hotels will get you some useful codes for bigger discounts than fund on their websites sometimes.

Bus ( 5E) from airport takes about 30 minutes. But local bus ( cheaper9 takes longer but may not go "central". The metro also has stops near some of these these hotels without taking shuttle back to airport..I know the Pullman and sister Novotel for sure.

Tomas-- a quick recommendation: Best Western Barajas. the metro Barajas is within walking distance from where to get to/from the airport as well as easy connecting to anywhere in Madrid. They do have a free shuttle to/from the airport. Upon arrival and when ready to go, you just call them and they will pick you up at the terminal promptly. Again, if touring Madrid, stay at city centre, but if you need to stay close to the airport, this hotel is very quiet, convenient, clean. great value, very nice staff, and includes a wonderful breakfast.